Fluid control system



este@ ses.. ses

1 STATES 'fPA'i'ia'N'liv ori-ica winnaar i. cansan, or wam'rwir, maw roar'. assioma ro .amas-cn monoamine conm, or mwaUxim-wraooirsm. a ooaronafrioi or' nanawm' num connor. uafarxitA App-aucunes my is, use. sei-m in. mavo.

This invention relates to iluidcontrol sstems, and more particularly of the hydra c tipe. In its more specific form it relates to t e control of hydraulic turbines and the like, Q and it will be' described as a matter oi convenience in this connection. In the control of hydraulic turbines'it is necessary to control the ilow of waterto the turbine.' Control of the water ilowingi'n 10. the conduit supplying the turbine may give rise to abnormal pressure conditions in the conduit. This is particularly true ifA it is. attempted to ra idly change the amount of water flowing. t is oneKof the objects of the linvention to obviate this disadvantage.

Moreover in governor controlled turbines, as 4the loadvaries on the turbine it is desir-v able in order to keep the. speedv constant to vary the supply of water to the turbine in 20 accordance with rapid load changes. This necessitates a fast acting governor. There is accordingly danger that excessive positive or ililegative. pressures may be developed. -It` E is t e 25 to rovide asystem which -will permit t uti zation of va normally -fast acting overnorfwith resultant better re while avoiding the dangers o abnormal pressure conditions.V

80 A" more sxlcic object'iatlieprovisionof a governor h is normally' com aratively fastacting' and which is so contro ed in respouse to pressure conditions in the conduit' whichit controls that its speed of operation 35 will vary in accordance with the preure conditions in said. conduit.

vOther objects will appear hereinafter as'V the description of the invention proceeds'.

The novel features of the invention will appear from this specification and the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof and illustrating one embodiment of the inf-- vention and all these novel features are intended to be pointed out in the claims.

The 'iglle figure of the drawing illustrates one em 'ment of the invention as it may be applied in comiection with the control of a hydraulicturbine.

Referrin to the drawing, a turbine 1 vmay 5 be suppli with water in any suitable manthe instance shown is provided with two is- Aany desired form refore a further object of the invention he 10are respective y ation,

viiider in which piston -under pressure the o ner as through a conduit 2. The amount of water flowing this conduit ma be controlled in any of the usual ways as y means of turbine guide vanes, the needle of the n ozzle in the case of an impulse wheel or any other means for controlling the llow of Huid supplied to the prime mover 1. For the sake of simplicit the means for controlling the supply of uid has been here illustrated as a valve 3, and for the sake of brevity means for controlling the supply of iluid b e hereinafter termed a gate. The gate 3 may be operated by means o f a crank suitably connected to a servo-motor 5 which in tions 6, 7 disposed in suitable cylinders. e form of the servo-motor is immaterial and may of course be one in which'but one 1ston is utilized in one cylinder or any. ot er form. The servomotor 5 may be controlled lo by means of a.regulating valve 8 which is of such that when the regulating valve is in the neutral position as shown both exit 'rts-to which 9 and connected wi closed. The 'regulating valve 8 may be supplied with i uid under pressurethrough a pipe 1,1, the arrangement being such that if a valve stem 12 of the regulating valve is lifted, for example, iluid, under pressure will be admitted thro pine 11 thi'ou hV pi 10 to the c lis isposed there y causing movement of the valve 3 toward the closed position. In a similarmanner when" the valve stem 12 is moved downwardlyjluid is admitted: through pipe 9 to cause piston 6 to move the valve 3 toward- "tion, The re ating valve 8 is provided with the usual rain pi es.

The re ating valve stem 12 is ere shown as suitab y pivotally connected to a floating lever 13 having a floating pivot 14 which may be moved upwardly or downwardl by means of y balls 15. The other end of t ej floating lever 13 has suitably connected thereto one element of a dashpot 16 the other element of-which is connected to a shaft-of the valve 8,'asby a crank."The dash-pot 16 serves aa the usual compensating connection so that the gate will not over travel the desired position 10 I fora predetermined normal in response to a definite speed change, or in general to a definite adjustment of the regulating valve 8. The fly balls 15 may be driven Y in any suitable manner as by means of a belt 417 so as to be responsive to the speed of the prime mover 1.

Interposed in the pipe 11 between the regu.

lating valve 8 and the source of fluid under fessure (notsliown) is a valve 18 here shown 1 as 0f the double acting type. The valve 18 comprises a` valve member 19 having a hole 420 thcreimthis hole being here shown asd somewhat larger than the hole 21 in the valve seat. The valve member 19 is reciprocable u or other fluid in the conduit 2 extending into the reservoir 26 as indicated at 28. On top of the water 28 is a'body of oil 29 which extends 'through the pipe 25 into the cylinder 24 and is adapted to transmit the pressure condioil reservoir 26 may' if desire be omitted and theconnection between the cylinder 24 and the conduit made direct.

The piston 23 is biased to a predetermined 35 position by means of sprin 30 and 31, and these springs are so selec 'or adjusted that Q pressure in conduit 2 the valve member 19 will be in its centrol position'as shown on the drawing. The' 4 cylinder 24is shown as provided with a drain 32 to carry awa any oil or other iiuid which 1 ma leak past e iston 23.

e operation o the described embodiment of the invention is as follows. Assuming that the position'of the parts is as shown in the drawing, the turbine 1 bein in operation, and

that the lood on tlie tur ine is decreasedl creasing the speed thereof, the fly thereby in so balls willact to lift the valve stein 12 a predeterminedA amount thereby causin movement of the gate 3 toward the close position. The resultant decrease in 'the l amount of flow through the conduit 2 will increasethc pressure a predetermined amount the causing movement of the'piston 23 tow the left, as viewed in the figure. If

the premura increase is not more thanea predetermined amount 'such movement will ngt have any e'ect on the flow of pressure iluid through the pipe `11 due to the fact that the hole is larger than the valve seat 2,1. IfH

however the pressure increase is' greater than a predetermined amount the movement of the valve member 19 toward the left will '5 restrict .to a predetermined extent the ilow I gate in said conduit, meansV for operating said of pressure fluid through the pipe 11 and therefore will at once decrease the speed of piston 7 and ate 3. Thus excessive pressure rise in conduit 2 is prevented. Clearly the predetermined limits can be suitably selected so that no pressure rises dangerous to the conduit 2 can occur. When the pressure condi? tions are again back to normal the valve 18 will return to the position shown on the drawing. .f

If for `Iexainr'ile, a pressure should obtain in conduit 2 a predetermined amount below nogmal, the piston 23 will be moved toward the right 4as viewed in the figure by the spring 31 thereby, if the movement is sufiicient, causing restriction, just as: in the case of excessive pressure, of the pressure fluid flowing in pipe 11 thus reducing the rate ofopenin of the gate 3.` t A It will'e understood fromv the specica- 5 tion vthat the svstem in certain of its aspects is useful without the use of aspeed governor.

It should be understood that it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact details of descri tion shown and `described for obvious modifications may occiir to persons skilled in the art. It is claimed anddesired-to secure by Letters Patent:

tions in the conduit 2 to the iston 23. The

1. In combination, a conduit for liquid, a gate in said conduit, means for operating s aidl gate, `means for controlling said operating means to operate said gatev at a predetermined maximum speed', and means responsive to pressure in said conduit for causing said controlling means to control the speed of said gate inversely in accordance with increase in pressure above normal.

2. In combination, a conduit for liquid, a

gate, means for controlling said operatin `means to operate said lgate ata predeterminer maximum speed, an means responsive to pressure in said conduit for causing said controlling means to control the speed of said 11# ate inversely in accordance with decrease in pressure from a value above normal.

3. In combination, a conduit for liquid, a vgate in said conduit, means for cperating said gate, means for controlling sai o erat- 11 ing means to operate said gate ata pre etermined maximum speed, and means responsive to pressure in said conduit for causing said controlling means to control the speed of said gate directly in accordance with de'- crease in pressure a .predetermined amount below normal.

4. In combination, a conduit foil liquid, a gate in said' conduit, means for operating' said gate, means for controlling said operating means to operate said gate at a predetermined maximum speed, and means responsive to pressure in said conduit for causing saidv controlling means to control the Speed of said gate inversely in accordance -53 lating valve for said servo-motor, and means conduit for supplying said prime mover with..

operating fluid, a gate in said conduit,.a servo-motor for operating said gate, a reguresponsive to pressure in said conduit for progressively altering the effect of said regulating valve onV said servo-motor in ac cordance with the pressure in said conduit.

6. In a prime moverpcontrol system, a conduit for supplying said prime mover with operating fluid, a gate in said conduit, a servo-motor for operating said gate, a regulating' valve for said. servo-motor, means or supplying said regulating valve with fluid under pressure,`and means responsivev to pressure in said conduit for controlling thesupply of pressure fluid to said regulating valve. l

7. In a prime mover control system, a conduit for supplying said prime mover with operating fiuid, a gate in said conduit, a servo-motor for operating said gate, a regulating valve-for said servo-motor, means responsive to the speed of said prime mover for controlling said Iregulating valve, and means responsive to pressure in said conduit for progressively altering the effect of said regulating valve on said servo-motor in accordance with the pressure in said conduit.

8. -In a prime mover control system, a condiit for sufpplying said prime mover with operating uid, a gate in said conduit, a servo-motor for operating said gate, a regulating valve for said servo-motor, means responsiveto the speed of said prime mover for controlling said regulating valve, means Afor supplying said regulating valve with fluid under pressure, and means responsive to pressure in said conduit for controlling the supply of pressure fluid to said regulating valve. Y

il. In a prime mover control system, a conduit for supplyingvsaid prime mover with operating fluid, a gate in said conduit', a servo-motor for operatingsaid gate, a regulating valve for said servo-motor, a pipe for supplyingsaid regulating valve with '.pressure fluid,`a valve in said pipe, a piston for operating said valve, a cylinder in which said piston is disposed, means for connecting -said cylinder with said conduit, and means for biasing said valve to a predetermined position when a predetcrinned pressure obtains in said conduit.

10. In a prime mover control system. va conduitfor supplying said prime moverwith operating fluid, a gate in said conduit, av servo-motor for operating said gate, a regulatin valve for said servo-motor, a pipeV for supp ying said regulating valve with pressure fluid, a double acting valve'in said" limiting positions and open in a central posil tion, a piston for operating said valve, a cylinder-in which said piston is disposed, means -'for connecting vsaid cylinder with said conduit, and means, for biasing said valve to the central position when a predetermined pressure obtains in said conduit.

11. In a prime mover control system, a conduit for supplyingsaid prime mover with operating fluid, agate in said conduit, a servo-motor for operating said gate, a regulating valve for said servo-motor, means responsive to pressure in said conduit for progressively altering the eifect of said regulating valve on said servo-motor in accordance with the pressure .in said conduit, and means whereby said pressure may vary within a predetermined range without causing any of said altering effect.

12. In a prime mover control system, a conduit for supplying said prime mover with operating fiuid, a gate in said conduit, a servo-motor for operatingsaid gate, a regulating valve for said servo-motor, a pipe for supplying said regulating valve with pressure fiuid, a valve in said pipe, a piston for operating said valve, a cylinder in which said piston is disposed, means for connecting said cylinder with said conduit, said valve being open when a predetermined pressure.

obtains in said conduit, and means whereby said pressure may vary within a predetermined range without causing closure of said valve.

13. In a prime mover control system, a

*conduit for supplying said prime mover with n voperating fluid, a gatein'said conduit, a

in `wliich said pistonis disposed, means for connecting said'cyliiider with said conduit, and means whereby said pressure may vai-y within a redetermined range while -maintaining said valve i'n fully open condition.

14.' In combination, a conduit for a liquid, agate in said conduit, means for operating said gate, means for controlling .said oper-`- ating means to operate said gate at predetermined speeds dependent on the adjustment o to pressure in said conduit on the upstream side of said `gate for progressively reducing said predetermined speeds in accordance with' y means for'operatingsaid gate, means for controlling said operating means to operatesaid f 12J said controlling means, and means responsive a gate in said conduit, means for operatingl said gate, means including a second conduit for controlling said operating means to operate said gate at predetermined speeds 1ndependent on the adjustment of said conf trolling means, and means responsive to pres` Asure in said conduit on the upstream side of said gate and including a variable orifice device in said second conduit for progressively reducing said predetermined speeds in aceordance with increase in said pressure, and reducing the speed of said gate to zero with a predetermined increase in said pressure.

1i'.- In a prime mover control system, a conduit for supplying said prime mover with operating liquid, a gate in said conduit, means for operating said gate, means for controlling said operating means to operate said gate at predetermined speeds dependent upon the adjustment. of said controlling means, means responsive to the speed of said prime mover for controlling said gate-operating controlling-nieans, and means responsive to pressure in said conduit on the upstream side of said gate for progressively reducing said predetermined gate-speeds in accordance with increase in said pressure, and reducing the speed of said gate to zero with a predetermined increase in said pressure.

18. In combination, a conduit for a liquid,

a gate in said conduit, means for operating' said gate, means for controlling sa1d oper-- ating means to operate said gate at prede; teriiiined speeds dependent on the adjustment of said controlling means, and means responsiveto pressure in saidconduit on the upstream side of said gate and including a. variable constriction device for progressively reducing saidpredetermi ned speeds in accordance with increase or decrease in said pressure. Y

19. In a prime mover control system, a conduit for supplying said prime mover with operating liquid, a gate insaid'conduit, means for operating saidl gate, means for control- Y ling said operating means to operate said gate at predetermined speeds dependent upon the adjustment of said `cqntrolling means, means responsive to thespeed of said prime mover for controlling said gate-operating controlling-means, and means responsive to pressure in said conduit on the up-stream side 'o of said gate for progressivelyreducing said predetermined gate-speeds in accordance with increase or decrease in said pressure.

under pressure for controlling said operating i means to operate said gate at predetermined speeds i de ndent on. the pressure of said source of uid, and means responsive to pres- .-sure in said conduit on the upstream side ofV said gate for progressively reducing the pressure of said source in accordance with increase or decrease in said pressure in said conduit,

and reducing the yspeed of said gate to zero with a predetermined increase or decrease in said pressure.

21. In a prime mover control system, a conduit for supplying said prime mover with operating liquid', a ate insaid conduit, means for operatlng sai gate,- means for controlling said operating means to operate said gate at redetermined speeds de ndent upon the ady )ustment of said controlling means, means responsive to the speed Aof 'saidprime mover for controlling said gate-operating controlling-K4 means, and means responsive to pressure in said conduit on the upstream side of said gate for progressively reducing said predetermined gate-speeds in accordance with increase or decrease 1n said pressure, and reducing the speed of said gate to zero with a pre-A determined increase or decrease in said pres: (i sure.

22. fluid in .a conduit, the combination of, a, conduit for conveying fluid under pressure, a valve in said conduit for controlling the ilow of said fluid, a servo-motor for actuating said In a system for controlling the How of i valve, said servo-motor having a regulating v valve for controlling said servo-motor, a source of fluid under pressure for normally operating said servo-motor at. a`predeter mined speed in response to 'actuation of saidV regulating valve, and means interposed between said'source and said regulating valve for varying said speed of operation of said .lw'

`servo-motor in respo nsetoabnormal pressure in sald conduit. 1

23. In'a. system for controlling the of fluid through a conduit, the combination of, a conduit for conveying fluid under pressure, a gate in said conduit for controlling the low of said fluid, aser`vo-motor for actuating said gate, a source of fluid under Vpressure for actuating said servo-motor, means including a' servo-motor valve forcontrolling the actuation of said servo-motor, and means independent of said servo-motor valve for controlling the rate ofV actuation of said servomotor in response to abnormal pressure in said conduit. A

24. In a system for controlling the ilow of fluid to' a translating device, the combination of, a conduit forconveying fluid under pressure to said translating device, a. valve in'said conduit for controlling the llow of said fluid, a servo-motor for actuating said valve, said .servo-motor having a regulatin valve therefor, means for supplyingv sai servo-motor with fluid under pressure in response tothe position of said regulating valve, and means for restricting the pressure of said pressure supplying means in response to the pressure in said conduit.

In testimony whereof, the signature of the inventor is aixed hereto.

WILLIAM P. CREAGER. 

